


A Hug To Chase Away The Bad

by AHeartForStories



Series: AHeartForStories' Comfortember 2020 [3]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Astrid Hofferson Whump, Blood, Comfortember 2020, F/M, Gen, Hiccstrid - Freeform, Nightmares, Whump, Zombie, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:02:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27376153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AHeartForStories/pseuds/AHeartForStories
Summary: Written for Comfortember Day 3. Set during the Httyd Zombie AU. Sometimes Astrid has nightmares, as they all do. So sometimes it's nice to be held.
Relationships: Astrid Hofferson & Stormfly, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Series: AHeartForStories' Comfortember 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996150
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	A Hug To Chase Away The Bad

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Comfortember prompt: "Nightmare"  
> I had a lot of fun with the nightmare sequence. And the Hiccstrid part, too, of course.
> 
> Constructive criticism is appreciated!  
> Enjoy!

_Astrid is standing in a room, facing a window. She doesn't know of which house or even where that house is, just that this appears to be a living room, and her dragon is nowhere to be found. None of her friends are here with her, not even Hiccup._

_The room is unfurnished and the wallpaper is peeling off the walls, revealing a darkly colored mold, a strange detail that sticks with her. There is no sound, there is no smell. There is only this strange sense of surrealism, like nothing is truly real, not even her. T_ _he window she's staring through, there is no view, only a blinding white void._

_She finds herself turning away from it and faces the empty room. There are many doors, but she's only drawn to the one on the other end of this space. She walks straight for it, unprompted._

_She opens the door and finds herself in the living room again, except this time it's not empty._

_The wallpaper has peeled some more and this time there is blood everywhere. There are furniture, but they, too, are stained._

_In the middle of the room stands a familiar face. Or he would be if his back wasn't turned to her._

_"Hiccup?" She can hear herself calling out, her loud breathing the only other sound. It almost seems to echo inside this room._

_He doesn't turn to face her, instead standing there, hunched. He's twitching and the noises he makes Astrid can't quite describe. She takes note of the filthy hair clinging to his skull, the unwashed and pale appearance._

_"Hiccup?" She repeats, unable to say anything else, and unable to move from her spot._

_His twitching stops and the noises stop, like he has heard her, and then Astrid sees something else._

_She looks down at the floor and there are her friends._

_Dead. All of them._

_She can't see their faces, but she doesn't need to. She doesn't want to see what sort of horrific expressions they died with either._

_Cries of sorrow leave her, the only sound this soundless world will allow. Her heart has been torn in two._

_And as a final surprise, Hiccup finally turns to her and what she sees is death, blood, and gore._

* * *

At Stormfly's side, Astrid shoots upright with a fright. A gasp leaves her and she pants, struggling to catch her breath as sweat cools her skin. She's frantic and Stormfly wakes up as she notices, head lifting.

She coos in a bird-like manner and nips at Astrid's hair in an effort to draw her attention.

Astrid briefly puts her hand on her Nadder's beak, but she jumps to her feet and crosses their little camping area to reach Hiccup. She drops to her knees and takes his shoulders to shake him awake.

It was only a dream, a sick nightmare, but she still needs to make sure. If Hiccup hasn't turned like the nightmare is trying to make her believe, then she knows none of it is true.

"Hiccup. Hiccup, wake up!" She shakes him and she isn't kind about it. Naturally, Hiccup wakes up.

"Astrid, what? What's wrong?" While a little agitated at first with the rude awakening, he sees her troubled expression and sits up to face her.

Toothless is awake by now, too, but he doesn't say much. Instead, he watches from his spot. Stormfly is watching as well.

Astrid doesn't answer Hiccup's question. She grabs his face and inspects it closely, for as much as the dying campfire allows. Hiccup takes her hands with her own, his thumb rubbing her skin comfortingly.

"Astrid, look at me. I'm okay." He reassures her. Whatever her nightmare was about, he wants her to know that it was blatantly lying to her.

"You're okay." She repeats, her racing heart slowing down to a better pace. Hiccup nods and smiles.

"You're okay, they're all okay," Astrid repeats to herself and with this, she gets up to leave.

"Hey!" But Hiccup doesn't let her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down on her knees.

Moving to sit upon his knees, Hiccup takes her shoulders and rubs her arms. She lets him and takes comfort in his presence. She bears a haunted expression and Hiccup wonders just what her nightmare showed her that it affected her this badly.

"Do you-do you need to talk? I'm here for you if you do." He reminds her, hands gliding down her arms to take hers.

"I don't want to," She says with a shake of her head. She would much rather just forget about the awful images as soon as she can. Talking about them will only make them linger.

"In that case maybe you prefer a hug?" Hiccup offers, his arms already opening wide and welcoming her.

Astrid, her eyes watery, nods and moves closer before laying herself in his arms, her head on his shoulder. Hiccup embraces her warmly, his head on hers.

Astrid is reminded of how nice it is to be here. Even after the horrific state he was in, in her dreams and what he'd done to their friends in it, he is still the best person to come to for a comforting hug. Well, he and Fishlegs.

"Thank you." Astrid shares her gratitude with him, though she doesn't pull away quite yet.

"Don't mention it, you're always welcome for a hug or a talk." Hiccup tells her, not planning on breaking away from her so long as she needs him.

Astrid decides that she likes it here and that she would like to be here a little while longer. She lets the comfort he provides chase the terrible dream away.


End file.
